Oral Care Device with Sacrificial Electrode

ABSTRACT

A container, a toothbrush, or a device including at least one sacrificial electrode. In one aspect, the container may include a body adapted to contain an oral care solution and a cap selectively removable from the body. The cap may include a cavity configured to contain a fluid, a first electrode comprising a sacrificial metal, a second electrode spaced from the first electrode, and an electrical connection electrically connecting the first electrode and the second electrode to a power source. Activation of the power source may generate an electric field between the first and second electrodes, thereby causing the sacrificial metal of the first electrode to release ions into the fluid in the cavity of the cap.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 16/215,236, filed Dec. 10, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/983,724, filed Dec. 30, 2015, now U.S.Pat. No. 10,179,038, the entireties of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

Various oral care implements, such as toothbrushes, dental trays, anddental strips, are conventionally known. Such implements often act as acarrier for a dentifrice, which may be provided as a paste, gel, powder,liquid or some other composition. It is also conventionally known toprovide one or more active ingredients in the dentifrice to achievedifferent oral health benefits. For example, conventional dentifricesmay include ingredients that freshen breath, others that enhance toothwhitening, and/or still others that kill bacteria. However, it would bedesirable to provide an oral care implement that can provide oral healthbenefits in addition to the separate dentifrice or without therequirement for the separate dentifrice.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an oral care implement thatprovides oral health benefits without or in addition to a dentifricesolution.

For example, there is a need in the art for an oral care implement thatcan generate ions in the head of the toothbrush, which may be used topromote oral health from within the oral cavity.

BRIEF SUMMARY

This application describes improved oral care implements, containers, orother devices that incorporate one or more electrode pairs. Within eachelectrode pair, a sacrificial metal is used that breaks down when apotential difference is applied across the electrode pair. Ions arereleased when the metal breaks down, and those ions aid in oral health.

In one aspect, the invention may be a container comprising; a bodyadapted to contain an oral care solution; and a cap selectivelyremovable from the body, wherein the cap comprises: a cavity configuredto contain a fluid; a first electrode comprising a sacrificial metal; asecond electrode spaced from the first electrode; and an electricalconnection electrically connecting the first electrode and the secondelectrode to a power source; and wherein activation of the power sourcegenerates an electric field between the first and second electrodes,thereby causing the sacrificial metal of the first electrode to releaseions into the fluid in the cavity of the cap

In another aspect, the invention may be an oral care device configuredfor placement in an oral cavity comprising: a base layer having alongitudinal axis; a power source disposed on a surface of the baselayer; and an electrode layer disposed on the surface of the base layeror on a surface of the power source, the electrode layer comprising afirst electrode comprising a first metallic strip electrically connectedto the power source and a second electrode comprising a second metallicstrip electrically connected to the power source and substantiallyparallel to the first metallic strip, wherein the electrode layer isdisposed such that a length of the first electrode and a length of thesecond electrode are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe base layer

In yet another aspect, the invention may be a toothbrush comprising: ahead; a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the head; afirst pair of electrodes coupled to the head, the first pair ofelectrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, at leastone of the first and second electrodes being a first sacrificialelectrode; a second pair of electrodes coupled to the head, the secondpair of electrodes comprising a third electrode and a fourth electrode,at least one of the third and fourth electrodes being a secondsacrificial electrode; a power source operably coupled to the first andsecond electrodes and to the third and fourth electrodes to supply acurrent to the first and second electrodes and to the third and fourthelectrodes, thereby causing the first and second sacrificial electrodesto release ions; and wherein the first sacrificial electrode comprises afirst sacrificial metal and the second sacrificial electrode comprises asecond sacrificial metal

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oral care implement, embodied as atoothbrush, according to an example implementation of this disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of an example implementationof the toothbrush of FIG. 1, taken along section line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of another example implementationof the toothbrush of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of another example implementationof the toothbrush of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an oral care implement,embodied as a dental strip or patch, according to another exampleimplementation of this disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a container for a dentifrice solutionaccording to another example implementation of this disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cap, such as a cap for the containerillustrated in FIG. 6, according to an implementation of thisdisclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cap, such as a cap for the containerillustrated in FIG. 6, according to another implementation of thisdisclosure;

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating the production of zinc ions usingsacrificial electrodes according to example embodiments of thisdisclosure;

FIG. 10 is a graph illustrating viability data relating to an ATP assaytest, using sacrificial electrodes according to example embodiments ofthis disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating viability data relating to a Resazurinassay test, using sacrificial electrodes according to exampleembodiments of this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This description of presently preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each andevery value that is within the range. Any value within the range can beselected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references citedherein are hereby incorporated by referenced in their entireties. In theevent of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and thatof a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

This disclosure relates generally to oral care implements, and moreparticularly to implements configured to include electrodes connected toa power source. Some examples of the following detailed description maygenerally refer to embodiments of the inventive implements in thecontext of a toothbrush, but the disclosure is not limited totoothbrushes; other oral care implements may also incorporate featuresof this disclosure. By way of non-limiting example, and as will bedescribed in some examples below, mouth guard- and tray-type oral careimplements and oral strips which do not include a handle, are known, andaspects of this disclosure may be incorporated into such implements.Moreover, features of the disclosure may be incorporated into other oralhealth-related applications.

FIG. 1 illustrates a toothbrush 100 according to a first implementationof this disclosure. The toothbrush 100 generally includes a handle 102,a head 104 disposed at the distal end of the handle 102, and a neckportion 106 generally disposed between the handle 102 and the head 104.As illustrated, the handle has a generally elongate shape, along alongitudinal axis. This disclosure is not limited to the shape and/orsize of the toothbrush 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. In alternativeimplementations, one or more of the handle 102, head 104, and/or neck106 may have different shapes, sizes, orientations, and/or the like.Additional features may also be incorporated into the toothbrush ordisposed on the toothbrush.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the head 146 of the toothbrush100 also includes a plurality of tooth cleaning elements 108 disposed ona tooth cleaning element support 110. As used herein, the term “toothcleaning elements” includes any type of structure that is commonly usedfor or is suitable for use in providing oral health benefits (e.g.,tooth cleaning, tooth polishing, tooth whitening, massaging,stimulating, etc.) by making intimate contact with portions of the teethand/or gums. Such tooth cleaning elements include but are not limited totufts of bristles that can be formed to have a number of differentshapes, sizes and relative configurations, massage elements, andelastomeric cleaning members that can be formed to have a number ofdifferent shapes and sizes, or a combination of both tufts of bristlesand elastomeric cleaning members. The tooth cleaning elements 108 may bearranged on the tooth cleaning element support 110 in manyconfigurations.

In FIG. 1, the tooth cleaning elements 108 include bristles, which maybe formed as bristle tufts. The tufts may be formed with bristles of thesame or different bristle materials (such as nylon bristles, spiralbristles, rubber bristles, etc.). Moreover, while the tooth cleaningelements 108 may be arranged so that they are generally perpendicular toa top surface 112 of the tooth cleaning element support 110, some or allof the tooth cleaning elements may be angled with respect to thatsurface and/or with respect to each other. When the tooth cleaningelements 108 includes bristle tufts, it is thereby possible to selectthe combination of bristle configurations, bristle materials and/orbristle orientations to achieve specific intended results andoperational characteristics, thus maximizing and enhancing cleaning,tooth polishing, tooth whitening, massaging, stimulation, and the like.

The tooth cleaning elements 108 may be attached to the tooth cleaningelement support 110 by any conventional method. In certain embodiments,the tooth cleaning element support 110 may comprise a head plate havinga plurality of holes formed there through, and the tooth cleaningelements may be mounted to the head plate within the holes. This type oftechnique for mounting the tooth cleaning elements to a head plate asthe tooth cleaning element support 110 is generally known as anchor freetufting (AFT). In AFT a head plate or membrane is created and the toothcleaning elements (such as bristles, elastomeric elements, andcombinations thereof) are positioned into the head plate so as to extendthrough the holes of the head plate. The free ends of the tooth cleaningelements on one side of the head plate perform the cleaning function.The ends of the tooth cleaning elements on the other side of the headplate are melted together by heat to be anchored in place. As the toothcleaning elements are melted together, a melt matte is formed, which isa layer of plastic formed from the collective ends of the tooth cleaningelements that connects the tooth cleaning elements to one another on oneside of the head plate and prevents the tooth cleaning elements frombeing pulled through the tuft holes.

In some conventional designs, such as some conventional manualtoothbrushes, after the tooth cleaning elements are secured to the headplate, the head plate may be secured to the head 104, such as byultrasonic welding. When the head plate is coupled to the head 104, themelt matte is located between a lower surface of the head plate and afloor of a basin or cavity of the head 104 in which the head plate isdisposed. The melt matte, which is coupled directly to and in fact formsa part of the tooth cleaning elements, prevents the tooth cleaningelements from being pulled through the holes in the head plate thusensuring that the tooth cleaning elements remain attached to the headplate during use of the oral care implement.

In another embodiment, the tooth cleaning elements may be connected to ahead plate or membrane later incorporated using a technique known in theart as AMR. In this technique, a head plate is provided and the bristlesare inserted into holes in the head plate so that free/cleaning ends ofthe bristles extend from the front surface of the head plate and bottomends of the bristles are adjacent to the rear surface of the head plate.After the bristles are inserted into the holes in the head plate, thebottom ends of the bristles are melted together by applying heatthereto, thereby forming a melt matte at the rear surface of the headplate. The melt matte is a thin layer of plastic that is formed bymelting the bottom ends of the bristles so that the bottom ends of thebristles transition into a liquid, at which point the liquid of thebottom ends of the bristles combine together into a single layer ofliquid plastic that at least partially covers the rear surface of thehead plate. After the heat is no longer applied, the melted bottom endsof the bristles solidify/harden to form the melt matte/thin layer ofplastic. In some conventional applications, after formation of the meltmatte, a tissue cleaner is injection molded onto the rear surface of thehead plate, thereby trapping the melt matte between the tissue cleanerand the rear surface of the head plate. Other structures may be coupledto the rear surface of the head plate to trap the melt matte between therear surface of the head plate and such structure without the structurenecessarily being a tissue cleaner. For example, in embodiments of thisdisclosure, a structure covering the melt matte may be a plasticmaterial that is used to form a smooth rear surface of the head, or thelike. In still other embodiments, the structure can be molded onto therear surface of the head plate or snap-fit (or other mechanicalcoupling) to the rear surface of the head plate as desired.

Of course, techniques other than AFT and AMR can be used for mountingtooth cleaning elements to the tooth cleaning element surface 110, suchas widely known and used stapling/anchoring techniques or the like. Insuch embodiments the tooth cleaning elements may be coupled directly tothe tooth cleaning element surface 110. Furthermore, in a modifiedversion of the AFT process discussed above, the head plate may be formedby positioning the tooth cleaning elements within a mold, and thenmolding the head plate around the tooth cleaning elements via aninjection molding process.

Moreover, in certain embodiments, the invention can be practiced withvarious combinations of stapled, IMT, AMR, or AFT cleaning elements.Alternatively, the tooth cleaning elements could be mounted to tuftblocks or sections by extending through suitable openings in the tuftblocks so that the base of the tooth cleaning elements is mounted withinor below the tuft block. In still other embodiments, likely in which thetooth cleaning elements are not bristles, the tooth cleaning elementsmay be molded integrally with the tooth cleaning element surface 110.

A plurality of apertures 114 is also illustrated in FIG. 1. Theapertures 114 are disposed through a sidewall 116 of the head 104 andprovide a channel or passageway through the sidewall 104. Such a channelmay allow for fluid communication between an inner cavity of the head104 of the toothbrush 100 and the external environment. The cavity,which may be bounded by the tooth cleaning element support 110, thesidewall 104 and a base 118, will be discussed in more detail below.

In some embodiments of this disclosure, an electrode system is disposedin the cavity in the head 104. Providing electrical current to theelectrode system may be useful to provide oral health benefits inaddition to the benefits obtained by use of the tooth cleaning elements108. The electrode system may be controlled, at least in part, by a useroperating the toothbrush 100. For example, a user interface, embodied asa switch or button, may be provided on the handle 102.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded, cross-section of a toothbrush 200. Thetoothbrush 200 is an example implementation of the toothbrush 100. Asillustrated, the head 104 of the toothbrush 200 includes a cavity 202.The cavity 202 is a basin or void defined by the sidewall 116 thatextends upwardly from the base 118 of the head 104. A first electrode204 and a second electrode 206 are disposed in the cavity 202. Theelectrodes 204, 206 may be any known shape or configuration, in additionto the configurations described in the examples herein. In theillustrated implementation, the electrodes 204, 206 are formed aselectrical coils, and include a number of turns of a metallic wire. Inthe illustrated embodiment each of the electrodes 204, 206 includes sucha winding, wound about a core 208. The cores 208 may be formedintegrally with the base or may be formed separately and subsequentlyfixed to the base. In other embodiments, the cores 208 may not bepresent at all. Electrical or conductive leads 210 connect each of theelectrodes 204, 206 to a power source 212. In the illustratedembodiment, the power source 212 is a plurality of batteries disposed inthe handle 102 and the leads 210 extend from the electrodes 204, 206through the neck 106 and into the handle 102 via a passageway or channel214 connected to the cavity 202 of the head 104. In some embodiments thebatteries may be replaced with some other power source, and the powersource may be rechargeable.

As also illustrated, the tooth cleaning element support 110 ispositioned relative to the head 104 to cover the cavity 202, therebyenclosing the electrodes 204, 206 in the cavity 202. In someimplementations, the tooth cleaning element support 110 is fixed at adistal end of the sidewall 116, e.g., by an adhesive, welding, or othermechanical means.

Application of current to the electrodes 204, 206 creates an electricalfield between the electrodes 204, 206. More specifically, the electrodesmay be positioned to act as an anode and a cathode. The toothbrush mayalso include a controller and/or additional electronics 216. Forexample, the controller 216 may control current and/or voltage from thepower source 212 to the electrodes 204, 206. In some embodiments, thecontroller may alternate the current through the electrodes 204, 206and/or otherwise control the current, such as through pulse widthmodulation or alternating the current through the coils, to achievedesired activation sequences of the electrodes 204, 206. The controller216 may also include a timing mechanism, such that the electrodes 204,206 are activated for a predetermined time, for example.

In embodiments of this disclosure, at least one of the first electrode204 and the second electrode 206 comprises a sacrificial electrode. Asacrificial electrode includes a sacrificial metal, and when current isapplied between the first and second electrodes 204, 206, thesacrificial electrode gives up ions, e.g., by oxidizing. In onepresently preferred embodiment, the sacrificial electrode includes zincand the presence of an electrical potential oxidizes the zinc to releaseZn²⁺. Zinc ions are conventionally known to provide oral health benefitsincluding e.g., anti-bacterial benefits. In this example, the zinc ionsare given off in the cavity 202 of the head 104 of the toothbrush 200.Once released from the electrode to the cavity 202, the beneficial zincions enter the oral cavity via the apertures 114.

The apertures 114 also allow fluids, e.g., saliva and water, in theexternal environment to enter the cavity 202. Once in the cavity, thefluids act as an electrolyte to promote the release of the ions from thecharged electrodes.

As noted above, in some embodiments the sacrificial metal may be zinc.When the electrode is a winding, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the wirecomprising the winding may include zinc or a zinc alloy. In otherembodiments, the electrodes may alternatively be formed as metal platesor other spaced-apart metal fixtures. Such other electrodes may alsoinclude zinc, zinc alloy, or some other sacrificial metal. Inembodiments of this disclosure, zinc may comprise 90% or more of themetal making up the electrode, for example.

The description is not limited to the use of zinc and zinc alloys as thesacrificial electrode. In other implementations, for example, thesacrificial electrode may include different metals that can be oxidizedto provide ions that give alternative oral benefits. For example, Tinions, i.e., Sn2+ and Sn4+ have known oral health benefits and thesacrificial electrode could include Tin. Moreover, the oxidation of ironand/or manganese can drive the formation of hydroxide radicals fromhydrogen peroxide, e.g., via the Fenton reaction, which may provideother benefits in the oral cavity.

Although one pair of electrodes is illustrated in FIG. 2, additionalpairs of electrodes may also be present. For example, a first pair ofelectrodes may include zinc as a sacrificial metal, whereas a secondpair of electrodes may include iron as a sacrificial metal. A controllersuch as the controller 216 may be used to individually power the pairsof electrodes, to provide varied oral care. In other implementations,multiple pairs of electrodes may include the same sacrificial metal, butthe increased number will allow for release of additional ions.

Modifications to the toothbrush 200 described above are contemplated.For example, FIG. 3 illustrates a toothbrush 300 having a differentelectrode arrangement.

More specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates that the toothbrush 300 includes ahead 302 defining a cavity 304, similar to the cavity 202 describedabove. Four posts 306 are positioned in the cavity and extend from abottom surface of the cavity 304. A first electrode 310 is formed as aseries of windings 312 around a pair of the posts 306. A secondelectrode 314 is formed as a second series of windings 316 about theother two posts 306. Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the firstelectrode 310 and the second electrode 314 are electrically connected toa power source. According to the arrangement of FIG. 3, the elongatewindings 312, 316 provide increased surface area over the windings abouta single post.

The toothbrush 300 functions in substantially the same manner astoothbrush 200 described above. That is, at least one of the electrodes310, 314 preferably includes a sacrificial metal, such as zinc. When apotential is applied across the electrodes, the sacrificial metaloxidizes, releasing ions into the cavity 304. Apertures 318 are providedin the head 302 that allow for fluid flow between the cavity 304 and theexternal environment of the toothbrush 300. In this manner, as in theembodiment described above, released ions may exit the head 302 andprovide a benefit in the external environment, e.g., the oral cavity.The apertures 318 also allow for the flow of fluids, such as salivaand/or water into the cavity 304, which fluids may act as an electrolyteto promote the oxidation of the sacrificial metal.

As also illustrated in FIG. 3, the toothbrush 300 may further include abarrier 320 disposed between the first electrode 310 and the secondelectrode 314. The barrier 320 may be any physical structure that willprevent migration of released ions. More specifically, when a zincsacrificial electrode is used, the barrier 320 will prevent zinc ionsreleased from the sacrificial electrode from migrating to the otherelectrode. Instead, the ions will remain suspended in the electrolyte,and eventually exit the head 302 via the apertures 318 to enter the oralcavity.

As noted above, a benefit of the configuration of the toothbrush 300over that of the toothbrush 200 may be that each of the electrodes ofthe toothbrush 300 has an increased surface area versus that of theelectrodes in the toothbrush 200. For example, in some embodiments, itmay be desirable to provide each electrode with a surface area greaterthan about 1 cm² to produce sufficient ions for a desired oral benefit.For example, each electrode may be formed of 15 to 20 cm long wirehaving 0.25 to 0.5 mm diameter. Winding of any length of wire about twospaced posts will require fewer turns than winding about one post. Aswill be appreciated, the release of ions will be dependent upon a numberof factors, including the surface area of the electrode, the purity ofthe material forming the electrode, a distance between the electrodes,and the like, and different configuration may be appropriate indifferent applications.

Other electrode configurations also are contemplated. For example, FIG.4 illustrates a toothbrush 400 having a cavity 404 in which a pair ofelectrodes 410, 414 is disposed. Each of the electrodes 410, 414 iswound about a pair of posts 406, similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3.However, the wire comprising the windings 412, 416 of each of theelectrodes 410, 414 is wound in a FIG. 8 pattern. This configuration mayallow for additional surface area of the electrode over the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 3, because it accommodates a longer length of wirein the same footprint. In each of FIGS. 3 and 4, the tooth cleaningelements are removed for clarity.

Those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that additionalelectrode configurations are possible. As noted above, one or both ofthe electrodes in an electrode pair may be formed as a metal plate or athin metal strip, for example.

In some embodiments, the ions released by the electrodes may provide adirect oral care benefit, as in the case of zinc ions, which are knownanti-bacterial agent. Conventionally, zinc ions have been formulatedinto a dentifrice or mouthwash for delivery into the oral cavity.However, aspects of the present disclosure allow for delivering free orweakly chelated zinc species directly into the oral cavity. Moreover,the zinc species may be delivered into a non-therapeutic dentifrice ormouthwash. That is, the benefits of zinc ions may be realized withoutthe need for a specific dentifrice including the zinc. According toaspects of this disclosure, a zinc electrode may be oxidized from itsmetal Zn⁰ state to Zn²⁺ state by the removal of electrodeselectrochemically: Zn→Zn²⁺+2 electrons.

In addition to contemplating additional electrode arrangements in atoothbrush or similar device, the inventors also contemplate the use ofelectrode arrangements in different oral care devices. For example, FIG.5 illustrates an oral care device 500 according to other implementationsof this disclosure. More specifically, FIG. 5 is a schematicillustration of a plurality of layers or substrates that are stacked orotherwise disposed together to form a complete device 500. Inembodiments of this disclosure, the device 500 is embodied as a strip orpatch sized for placement in the oral cavity. The device 500 isillustrated in FIG. 5 as having a generally rectangular shape, but thisdisclosure is not limited to rectangular forms. For example, the sizeand/or shape of the footprint of the device 500 may be varied dependingupon such factors as the application, desired aesthetics, ormanufacturability concerns. The strip is preferably between about 1 mmand about 5 mm thick, and more preferably about 1.5 mm to about 3 mmthick. The reduced thickness may result in more comfort for a user ofthe device, and may promote flexure or bending of the device, e.g., tobetter conform to the contours of the oral cavity.

As illustrated, the oral care device 500 includes a base layer 502, apower source 504, and an electrode layer 506. Other layers, which mayinclude a covering 512, an adhesive layer 514, and a release layer 516also are illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 5. One or more of theselayers may be included in various embodiments of this disclosure.

The base layer 502 is preferably a thin, flexible substrate. Thesubstrate may be made from any number of orally acceptable materials,including but not limited to, textiles, cloth, wood composite, resin,elastomer, paper, insoluble or less soluble cellulose derivatives suchas ethyl cellulose and cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride, wax,Parafilms™, polyethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, Teflon™, polyvinylchloride, polyvinyl acetate and their derivatives. In some instances,the flexible substrate may also or alternatively include a water-solublepolymer to promote adhesion of the device 500 to the teeth or gums. Forexample, the base layer 502 may include hydrophilic cellulose ethers(e.g. carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose), polyvinyl acetates, carbomers (e.g., Carbopol 97 IP),polysaccharide gums (e.g. xanthan gum), modified food starches, gelatin(e.g. animal or fish-based gelatin), cross-linked carboxyvinylcopolymers, cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyethylene oxide(e.g., Polyox), polyacrylic acids and polyacrylates, polyvinyl alcohols,alginate, casein, pullulan, and combinations thereof.

The power source 504 is disposed on the base substrate 502, and may be abattery. The power source may be single use or rechargeable. Althoughseveral types of batteries, including button and coin batteries, may beused in accordance with principles of this disclosure, in some preferredembodiments the power source 504 comprises a flexible power source, suchas a polymer battery. Polymer batteries may be preferred for their thinprofile and/or their flexibility. For instance, polymer batteries may beas thick as 750 microns, or thinner. The power source 104 may be aprinted battery such as a battery commercially available from ImprintEnergy, Inc. of Alameda, Calif. The printed battery may include a metalscreen-printed on a flexible substrate, for example.

In some embodiments, the power source 504 may be adhered to the basesubstrate using any known adhesive, epoxy, or the like. Alternatively,the power source 504 may include the base substrate 502. For example,some commercially available polymer batteries generally includecomponents printed on a substrate. When such a commercially availablebattery is used in embodiments of this disclosure, the substrate of thebattery may also act as the base substrate 502.

The electrode layer 506 generally includes a pair of electrodes 508disposed on an electrode substrate 510. As illustrated, the electrodes508 may be formed as two spaced-apart conductive strips functioning asan anode and a cathode with applied current. The electrodes 508 aresubstantially parallel and extend generally longitudinally, i.e.,parallel to a longitudinal axis 518 of the device 500. The electrodesare sufficiently thin that they can bend with, e.g., withoutdelaminating from, the base layer 502 and the electrode substrate. Theelectrodes 508 may be printed or otherwise formed on the electrodesubstrate 510 and may comprise any number of materials including, butnot limited to, tin, silver, copper, platinum, and the like. Thematerials comprising the electrodes preferably are chosen for theirflexibility, as well as for their compatibility with the environs of theoral cavity. Also, in embodiments of this disclosure, at least one ofthe electrodes 508 may be formed from a sacrificial material, such as asacrificial metal. For example, as described above, an electrode made ofzinc will oxidize upon application of current, thereby releasing Zn²⁺.These zinc ions are recognized as effective anti-bacterial agents.

The electrodes 508 are attached to terminals of the power source 504. Insome embodiments, the electrode 508 may be connected to the power source504 using leads or similar conductors. In still other embodiments, theelectrode layer 506 may be affixed on the power source 504 in such amanner as to create an electrical communication between the electrode508 and the power source 504. In still other embodiments, the powersource 504 and the electrodes 508 may be disposed on a common substrate,such as the base substrate 502 or the electrode substrate 510.

Although two electrodes 508 are illustrated in FIG. 1, additionalelectrodes 508 may also be provided. For example, the electrodes may bepositioned and numbered generally to correspond with a location andnumber of a user's teeth. Moreover, the electrodes may be arrangedgenerally perpendicularly relative to the axis 516.

The device 500 comprising the base substrate 502, the power source 504,and the electrode layer 506 may form a complete oral care device 500. Inoperation, the oral care device 500 may be placed in a user's oralcavity and current is passed through the electrodes 508 to provide anelectrochemical benefit in the oral cavity. As discussed above, thebenefit may constitute release of ions or the like upon degradation ofthe electrode 508. To promote the release of ions, the electrodes may beexposed to the environs of the oral cavity, e.g., such that saliva canact as an electrolytic solution. Alternatively, the covering 512 may bedisposed over the electrodes, such that the electrodes are sandwichedbetween the covering and the electrode substrate. In this manner, theelectrode substrate 510 and the covering 512 form a housing containingthe electrodes. The covering 512 and/or the electrode substrate 510 maybe formed to allow migration of saliva or other fluids therethrough, andinto contact with the electrodes. For example, pores or openings may beformed through one or both of the electrode substrate and the covering512. Moreover, the covering may be affixed to the substrate only about aperiphery of the covering, thereby allowing for a volume around theelectrodes. The interface between the electrode substrate and thecovering may also be a discontinuous attachment, creating openings orvoids through which fluid can enter and leave the volume.

While the device 500 may be complete with the base substrate 502, thepower source 504, the electrode layer 506, and optionally the covering512, one or more optional components may also be included. For example,the device 500 may also or additionally include an adhesive layer 514,to promote retention of the device 500 in a desired position in the oralcavity. The adhesive layer may include any conventionalorally-compatible, releasable adhesive. For example, water-solublepolymers, noted above as an example of a base layer substrate, may alsobe used as an adhesive in the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG.5, the adhesive layer 514 may have the same general footprint as theother components making up the strip. As a result, the entire strip mayinclude adhesive. In other embodiments, less adhesive may be included.For example, only portions of the footprint of the strip may beadhesive. For instance, adhesive may be provided only at longitudinalends of the strip, with the strip being applied much like othercommercially available bandages. In other implementations, adhesive maybe applied about the periphery of the strip and in still otherembodiments the adhesive layer may include a plurality of adhesionpoints or regions.

The oral care device 500 may also include a release layer 516. Therelease layer 516 may be a removable member disposed over components ofthe device 500, for example to prevent contamination of the oral caredevice 100 prior to insertion into the mouth. The release layer 516illustrated in FIG. 5 comprises a thin sheet of flexible material, e.g.,a polymeric material, that a user peels off to reveal the electrodelayer, covering and/or adhesive layer, depending upon the constructionof the device 500. When the adhesive layer 514 is present, for example,the release layer will ensure that the adhesive remains tacky until thedevice 500 is to be used. Although the release layer 516 is shown as asingle layer, in other embodiments the release layer may instead takethe form of an envelope or complete package, e.g., for completelyretaining the oral care device 500 therein.

In some embodiments, the release layer 516 may also control activationof the device 500. For example, the release layer may include a physicalobstruction that prevents electrical communication between the powersource 504 and the electrodes 508. Removing the release layer will alsoremove this obstruction, thereby allowing current to flow from the powersource to the electrode 508. In other implementations, removal of therelease layer 516 may be detected, e.g., using a presence/absencesensor, and the output from that sensor may trigger powering-up of thedevice.

Although not illustrated, the device 500 may also include controlcircuitry or similar features to control the electrical circuit createdby the power source 504 and the electrode 508. For example, the controlcircuitry may alternate the polarity of the electrodes during use.Alternating the polarity may prevent accumulation of charged particlesor ions on the electrodes. The control circuitry may also be programmedto control an amount of current supplied to the electrode 508. Thecontrol circuitry may also include a power-up function, or the like, toactivate the power source when the device is ready for use. The controlcircuitry may include a manual switch as part of the power-up function,such as a toggle or push button switch. Moreover, as discussed above,the release layer could also be integrated into the power-up function,e.g., such that removal of the release layer powers up the device. Inother embodiments, the control circuitry may include sensor outputs. Forexample, a conventional presence/absence sensor could be disposed to becovered by the release layer, and detect removal of the release layer.This detection could then be used to turn on the device. In anotherembodiment, a water- or liquid moisture-detecting sensor may beprovided. When the sensor comes in contact with saliva, i.e., upon beinginserted into the mouth, the power source is turned on. The controlcircuitry could be provided on a separate layer, or could be integratedinto another layer. For example, it may be desirable to incorporate thecontrol circuitry into the electrode layer, the base layer, and/or thepower source layer.

As will be appreciated, the oral care device 500 is generally a thin,flexible device capable of simple insertion into the oral cavity.Depending upon the benefit to be achieved from the device, the devicemay be placed over one or more teeth, on the gums, on the inside of thecheek, and/or on or under the tongue. In some embodiments, it may bedesirable to situate the electrodes as close to the teeth as possible.Because the device is flexible, in some examples the device can befolded, for example, proximate the longitudinal axis 518, such thatdevice can be placed around one or more teeth with one of the electrodes508 in front of the tooth/teeth and the other of the electrodes 508disposed behind the tooth/teeth. In this manner, the electrical fieldgenerated at the electrodes 508 would pass through the tooth/teethdisposed between the spaced electrodes 508. This arrangement disposesthe electrodes in intimate contact with the teeth. Such an arrangementmay also be beneficial to drive ions released from the sacrificialelectrode(s) into the tooth enamel.

In another, similar implementation, the oral care device may take theform of a molded tray. For example, the base substrate 502 may berelatively rigid, such as molded. In still further alternatives, thepower source may be disposed outside the oral cavity and/or separatefrom the device 500, yet electrically connected to the electrodes. Othermodifications will also be appreciated by those having ordinary skill inthe art, with the benefit of this disclosure.

Yet other implementations of this disclosure are illustrated in FIGS.6-8. FIG. 6 shows a container 600 for a dentifrice, which may be aliquid dentifrice, such as mouthwash or whitening solution, for example.The container 600 includes a body 602 and a cap 604 configured forselective placement on and removal from the body 602.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate examples of the cap 604, as shown in FIG. 6. InFIG. 7, a cap 700 includes an annular sidewall 702 terminating at aclosed end 704. The sidewall 702 and the closed end 704 define a volume.Threads (not shown) or another known mechanism may be provided on aninner surface of the sidewall 702 to promote attachment of the cap 702to a container body. A first electrode 706 and a second electrode 708also are disposed on the inner surface of the sidewall 702. Theelectrodes 706, 708 are illustrated as spaced-apart metallic windingsfixed to the sidewall 702. Although not illustrated, a power sourceelectrically connects the electrode 706, 708 to provide a potentialdifference between the electrodes. When the power source is activated,an electrical field is created between the electrodes. As in embodimentsdiscussed above, one of the electrodes preferably is a sacrificialelectrode, made of a sacrificial metal such as zinc.

The closed end 704 of the cap 700 is relatively flat, such that the cap700 may be placed on a flat surface, with the closed end 704 resting onthe surface. In this manner, the volume defined by the sidewall 702 andthe closed-end 704, can hold a substance, such as the dentifrice carriedin the container. In use, the cap 700 is filled with the dentifrice andpower is applied across the electrodes 706, 708. The dentifrice acts asan electrolyte, and ions from the sacrificial metal comprising thesacrificial electrode are released into the dentifrice. A user thenempties the contents of the cap 700 into his mouth so the ions mayprovide an oral benefit. This oral health benefit may be in addition toany benefit received from the dentifrice itself. In other uses, the cap700 may be used separately from the dentifrice contained in thecontainer. For example, the cap 700 with electrodes 706, 708 may befilled with water and ions from the electrodes may be released into thewater. The user may then rinse with the ion-infused water to obtain anoral health benefit separate from the dentifrice.

Although the power source and electrical connections between the powersource and the electrodes 706, 708 are not illustrated in FIG. 7, thosecomponents may be disposed proximate the closed end 704 of the cap 700.A false end or other substrate may be provided over the power sourceand/or electrical connections to ensure that fluid in the cap 700 doesnot contact those components. Similarly, it may be desirable tosubstantially shield the electrodes from the atmosphere. In oneimplementation, the sidewall 702 may comprise two concentric sidewallswith the electrodes disposed between the concentric walls. Thus, theuser may grasp the outer sidewall when removing the cap from or placingthe cap on the container while the inner sidewall is visible inside thecap. In this embodiment, the inner sidewall may be provided withapertures or other holes that allow for fluid flow into the spacebetween the concentric sidewalls, such that the fluid contained in thecap may come into contact with the electrodes.

FIG. 8 is another example implementation of a cap 800, such as the cap604 of FIG. 6. In this example, the cap 800 includes an annular sidewall802 terminating at a closed-end 804, much like the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 7. Two electrodes 806, 808 are disposed to dependfrom the closed end 804 into a volume defined by the sidewall 802 andthe closed-end 804. The electrodes 806, 808 are illustrated as parallelplates, although they may take other forms, including but not limited tothe wound electrode configurations illustrated in preceding embodiments.As with previous embodiments, at least one of the electrodes ispreferably a sacrificial electrode, formed of a sacrificial metal. Useof the cap 800 is similar to that of the cap 700 described above andwill not be described again here.

Although not illustrated, the caps 700, 800 may also include a userinterface, such as a button or switch that is pressed by a user toactivate the electrodes. Control circuitry, which may include timingcircuitry, may be provided to activate the electrodes for apredetermined amount of time, for example in response to userinteraction with the user interface. The timing may be sufficient torelease a predetermined amount of ions from the sacrificial electrode,for example. An indicator or the like, such as an indicator light orsound may also be provided to indicate to a user that the activation ofthe electrodes is complete.

Other modifications to the container and cap embodiment also arecontemplated. For example, containers are known that have a separatereservoir proximate an open mouth of the container. In these containers,a user squeezes a main body of the container to move fluid to thereservoir. The reservoir may include gradations or other markings asvisual indications of an amount of the fluid in the reservoir, forexample. According to an embodiment of this disclosure, a pair ofelectrodes may be provided in the reservoir. Also, the power source andthe electrical connections may be associated with the container body,instead of the cap.

The foregoing embodiments illustrate example devices related to oralhealth that incorporate electrodes. At least one of the electrodes is asacrificial electrode, made of a sacrificial metal. For example, thesacrificial electrode may be made of zinc, which may be 90% or more purezinc. When an electrical potential is produced across the electrodes,zinc ions are released into an electrolyte, which may be saliva, water,or a dentifrice. In embodiments of this disclosure, the electrolyte isthen transferred to the oral cavity to provide a benefit to the oralcavity. For example, when zinc is used as the sacrificial metal, theelectrolytic fluid will carry zinc ions, which act as an antibacterialagent in the oral cavity. Other sacrificial metals, such as iron, ortin, may also or alternatively be used, to provide other or additionaloral benefits. When the electrolyte used is a dentifrice solution, suchas a mouthwash or tooth whitening agent, the electrodes may also act toactivate components in the dentifrice.

Although other or additional metals may be used in the sacrificialelectrodes, the inventors have conducted a number of tests using zinc.

In one example test, a manual toothbrush (Colgate 360 toothbrush) wasused to simulate brushing. Specifically, simulated brushing wasperformed in a 10 mL vial with 1 gram of great regular flavor toothpasteand 1 mL saliva. Also in the test, a toothbrush as illustrated in FIG. 4was provided. Each of the electrodes of the toothbrush comprised zincwire wound in a figure-eight about spaced posts. Simulated brushing alsowas performed using this toothbrush in a 10 mL vial with 1 gram of greatregular flavor toothpaste and 1 mL saliva. The brushing using thetoothbrush with electrodes was done with the brush in an OFF state aswell as in an ON state. In the ON state, current was provided atapproximately 2 mA and voltage was set to 2V.

FIG. 9 shows the results of the just-described example test.Specifically, FIG. 9 illustrates a concentration of zinc in saliva (asparts per million) for two iterations of simulated brushing for eachstate, i.e., manual toothbrush, electrode toothbrush in OFF state, andelectrode toothbrush in ON state. In this example, the samples weretested using inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectroscopy.

In additional tests, an ATP or bioluminescent assay and a Resazurinassay were completed for a strip (like that shown in FIG. 5), a tray anda toothbrush (“eTB”—as shown in FIG. 4). FIG. 10 shows the results ofthe ATP assay and FIG. 11 shows the results of the Resazurin assay. ThePlanktonic resazurin assay was used to determine the relative amount ofbioactive metal compound in a formula. This assay uses a mixed speciesbacterial inoculum and the metabolic indicator dye resazurin is used asa measure of bacterial viability following treatment. The ATP orbioluminescent assay is used to measure total generic bacteria. For bothassays the five species mix of planktonic bacteria (Actinomycesviscosus, Lactobacillus casei, Streptococcus oralis, Veilonella parvulaand Fusobacterium nucleatum) is treated for one hour with the indicateddilution of dentifrice. Following treatment, the samples are washed andincubated with the non-fluorescent blue dye resazurin. Whenmetabolically active cells reduce resazurin, it is converted to the pinkfluorescent dye resorufin. The ATP assay uses the luciferin-luciferaseATP-dependent reaction to evaluate the viability of populations oforganisms. By comparing the fluorescence of the test cultures to astandard curve, we can determine the percentage of the initialpopulation of bacteria that remains viable after the one hour treatment.

The ATP viability data illustrated in FIG. 10 is also shown in Table 1:

TABLE 1 ATP viability Product % Viability ZnCl gen tray 56.19 ZnCl geneTB 57.93 ZnCit gen tray 19.44 ZnCit gen eTB 20.57 NaCl eTB-a 23.51 NaCleTB-b 21.92 Citrate eTB-a 46.62 Citrate eTB-b 60.71 1% ZnCl soln 20.821% ZnCl soln 31.73

The Resazurin viability data illustrated in FIG. 11 is also shown inTable 2:

TABLE 2 Resazurin viability Product % Viability ZnCl gen tray37.71618426 ZnCl gen eTB 34.24028388 ZnCit gen tray 13.2054818 ZnCit geneTB 16.81131976 NaCl eTB-a 20.64760777 NaCl eTB-b 17.23116481 CitrateeTB-a 37.74257346 Citrate eTB-b 33.95196444 1% ZnCl soln 15.7617772 1%ZnCl soln 26.64967783

The test results illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 and Tables 1 and 2 showthat a tray, a strip and an electric toothbrush may be used to deliverzinc electrochemically. The zinc may enhance already existing products,including those whose original purpose may have been other thantherapeutic.

The foregoing examples describe oral care implements incorporating asacrificial electrode to release ions that provide benefits in the oralcavity. To the extent that some implementations contemplate placingelectrical components and/or generating electrical fields in the oralcavity, it should be noted that the devices are operated withsufficiently low current and voltage that will not have an adverseeffect to the oral cavity or the user. For example, currents are on theorder of not more than 5 milliamps and voltages of no greater than about3 Volts may be used to generate ions according to embodiments of thisdisclosure.

Although example embodiments have been described in language specific tothe structural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms ofimplementing the example embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. An oral care device configured for placement inan oral cavity comprising: a base layer having a longitudinal axis; apower source disposed on a surface of the base layer; and an electrodelayer disposed on the surface of the base layer or on a surface of thepower source, the electrode layer comprising a first electrodecomprising a first metallic strip electrically connected to the powersource and a second electrode comprising a second metallic stripelectrically connected to the power source and substantially parallel tothe first metallic strip, wherein the electrode layer is disposed suchthat a length of the first electrode and a length of the secondelectrode are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of thebase layer.
 2. The oral care device according to claim 1, wherein atleast one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises asacrificial metal that degrades upon application of current to the firstelectrode and the second electrode to release ions into the oral cavity.3. The oral care device according to claim 2 wherein the sacrificialmetal comprises zinc, and the zinc oxidizes upon application of currentto the first electrode and the second electrode to release zinc ions. 4.The oral care device according to claim 1 further comprising a coveringdisposed over the electrode layer, wherein at least one of the electrodelayer and the covering comprises pores or openings through which fluidscan flow.
 5. The oral care device according to claim 1 furthercomprising an adhesive layer configured to retain the oral care devicein a position in the oral cavity and a removable release layerpositioned over the adhesive layer.
 6. The oral care device according toclaim 5, wherein the release layer controls activation of the oral caredevice such that when the release layer is positioned over the adhesivelayer current is prevented from flowing from the power source to thefirst and second electrodes and upon removing the release layer from theadhesive layer current can flow from the power source to the first andsecond electrodes.
 7. The oral care device according to claim 1, whereinthe base layer and the electrode layer are rectangular in shape.
 8. Theoral care device according to claim 1, wherein the oral care device hasa thickness between 1.5 mm and 3 mm.
 9. The oral care device accordingto claim 1 wherein the base layer is a thin, flexible substrate, andwherein the power source is a flexible power source, the power sourcebeing adhered to the surface of the base layer.
 10. The oral care deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the electrode layer comprises an electrodesubstrate and the first and second electrodes which are printed on theelectrode substrate.
 11. The oral care device according to claim 1,further comprising control circuitry configured to alternate a polarityof the first and second electrodes during use.
 12. An oral care deviceconfigured for placement in an oral cavity comprising: a flexible baselayer having a longitudinal axis; and an electrode layer positioned atopof the flexible base layer, the electrode layer comprising an electrodesubstrate, a first electrode on the electrode substrate, a secondelectrode on the electrode substrate; a power source operably coupled tothe first and second electrodes; and wherein at least one of the firstelectrode and the second electrode comprises a sacrificial metal thatdegrades upon application of current thereto to release ions into theoral cavity.
 13. The oral care device according to claim 12 furthercomprising a covering layer positioned on the electrode layer, whereinthe first and second electrodes are sandwiched between the electrodesubstrate and the covering layer, wherein at least one of the coveringlayer and the electrode layer comprises pores or openings to allowmigration of saliva or other fluids therethrough and into and out ofcontact with the electrodes.
 14. The oral care device according to claim12 further comprising: a covering layer positioned on the electrodelayer; an adhesive layer positioned on the covering layer; and a releaselayer positioned on the adhesive layer.
 15. A toothbrush comprising: ahead; a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the head; afirst pair of electrodes coupled to the head, the first pair ofelectrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, at leastone of the first and second electrodes being a first sacrificialelectrode; a second pair of electrodes coupled to the head, the secondpair of electrodes comprising a third electrode and a fourth electrode,at least one of the third and fourth electrodes being a secondsacrificial electrode; a power source operably coupled to the first andsecond electrodes and to the third and fourth electrodes to supply acurrent to the first and second electrodes and to the third and fourthelectrodes, thereby causing the first and second sacrificial electrodesto release ions; and wherein the first sacrificial electrode comprises afirst sacrificial metal and the second sacrificial electrode comprises asecond sacrificial metal.
 16. The toothbrush according to claim 15wherein the first and second sacrificial metals are different from oneanother.
 17. The toothbrush according to claim 16 wherein the firstsacrificial metal is zinc and the second sacrificial metal is iron. 18.The toothbrush according to claim 15 wherein the head comprises acavity, and wherein each of the first and second pairs of electrodes islocated in the cavity.
 19. The toothbrush according to claim 18 furthercomprising an aperture in the head fluidly connecting the cavity to anexternal environment so that the ions released from the first and secondsacrificial electrodes can flow from the cavity to an externalenvironment.
 20. The toothbrush according to claim 15 further comprisinga controller operably coupled to the power source and/or to the firstand second pairs of electrodes, wherein the controller is configured toindividually power the first and second pairs of electrodes.